The Pain of Hiroshima - poem by Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister of India during the Pokharan-II nuclear tests. The original poem is in Hindi. Thanks to Rajesh Gopakumar for sending it to me. The English translation is below.

Hiroshima ki peeda

kisi raat ko

meri neeNd achaanak uchaT jaati hai,

aaNkh khul jaati hai,

maiN sochne lagtaa huN ki

jin vaigyaanikoN ne anu astroN kaa

aavishkaar kiyaa thaa:

ve hiroshimaa-naagaasaaki ke bheeshan narsanhaar ke samaachaar sunkar,

raat ko soye kaise honge?....kyaa unhe ek kshan ke liye sahi,

yeh anubhuti hui ki unke haathoN jo kuch huaa,

acchaa nahi huaa?

yadi hui, to vakt uNhe katghare meiN khaDaa nahi karegaa.

kintu yadi nahi hui to itihaas unhe kabhi

maaf nahi karegaa.

by A. B. Vajpayee (1995)

Translation:

The Pain of Hiroshima

Some nights,

My sleep disappears.

My eyes don't stay shut.

I think about

The scientists who invented nuclear weapons:

After hearing about the massacre at Hiroshima-Nagasaki,

How did they ever go to sleep?.... Did they, even for a moment,

Feel that what took place by their hand

Was not Right?

If they did, then Time will not place them in the dock.

But if they didn't, history will never

Forgive them.